College Football Eve: Thursday, September 3rd kicks of the 2015 season in CFB

Thursday, September 3rd

Little Brown Jug
Michigan vs. Minnesota

No, the Little Brown Jug will not be on the line in Week 1, but Michigan and Minnesota will be the first Big Ten teams to kickoff the 2015 College Football Season in Week 1

Michigan 5 Jabrill Peppers tackles Utah WR 2 Kenneth Scott
in last season's 26-10 win by the Utes over the Wolverines
in Ann Arbor. New season, new coach for Maize & Blue in '15.

• Michigan at Utah 7:30 pm on FS1 as the Coach Jim Harbaugh era kicks off ...

Michigan vs. Utah series 

 • This will be the fourth meeting between the Wolverines and Utes 

 • Michigan will be making its first visit to Salt Lake City and Rice-Eccels Stadium

 • Utah maintains a 2-1 advantage in the series, including victories in the past two games
(2008 and 2014)

Minnesota CB 29 Briean Boddy-Calhoun and a teammate tackle TCU QB
2 Trevone Boykin during last year's 30-7 Horned Frogs win over the Golden Gophers.

#2 TCU at Minnesota 8:00 pm on ESPN as Golden Gophers open 5th season under coach Jerry Kill ...

Minnesota junior QB
7 Mitch Leidner
leads Gophers O!

• 
  

Minnesota vs. TCU series
• TCU is the highest-ranked opponent that Minnesota will face to start the season since the Associated Press began ranking teams in 1936
• The Gophers traveled to TCU last year and the teams met at Amon G. Carter Stadium on Sept. 13, 2014. The Horned Frogs won 30-7.
• The schools are now 1-1 against one another all-time, as Minnesota won the first meeting, 9-7, on Sept. 28, 1974, in Minneapolis

Other Games to Kickoff Week 1 Thursday

• Florida International at UCF 5:00 pm on CBSSN in this CUSA vs. AAC showdown, as Knights shutout Golden Panthers on road in '13
• North Carolina vs. South Carolina (from Charlotte) 5:00 pm on ESPN - 57th meeting in this series & first neutral site game, since the 1955 season
• Oklahoma State at Central Michigan 6:00 pm on ESPNU - Chippewas are 0-4 vs. Power 5 at home, so this is a long-shot for the MAC in '15
• Alcorn at #17 Georgia Tech 6:30 pm on FSN Affiliates - The Yellow Jackets host last year's SWAC title winner in the first meeting between the FCS and FBS programs
• Villanova at UConn 6:30 pm SNY / espn3 - This is ripe for a FCS pick over the FBS, as Huskies are coming off 2-10 season against a FCS Quarter-finalist from '14
• Western Kentucky at Vanderbilt 7:00 pm on SEC Network 
• Duke at Tulane 8:30 pm on CBSSN - The Blue Devils are only 5-15 in road openers ... and lost in '64 in only previous visit to New Orleans
• UTSA at Arizona 9:00 pm on PAC-12 Network - The Wildcats won 26-23 last year on the road, in this one, so coach Rich Rodriguez needs the be ready in Tucson
• Colorado at Hawaii 11:59 pm on CBSSN - These teams combined for 2 and 4 wins in '14; and visitor is 0-4 in this series, but it is time for the Buffaloes to reverse that trend ...

• Abilene Christian at Fresno State 9:00 pm on MWC Video - First meeting, since '63, but Bulldogs are 14-2 in Bulldog Stadium openers
• Elon at Wake Forest 6:00 pm on espn3 - The Demon Deacons have never lost in this series at 9-0-1
• New Hampshire at San Jose State 9:00 pm - First meeting in this series. Spartans are 13-1 vs. FCS foes, losing in '10 to UC-Davis. New Hampshire is coming off FCS Semifinals
• Ohio U at Idaho 8:00 pm on espn3 - The visitor in this series is 0-3, but look for Frank Solich's Bobcats to reverse the trend
• Southern Utah at Utah State 8:00 pm - The Aggies are 3-0 in this series, winning 34-3 in last game in series in 2012
• Stony Brook at Toledo 6:00 pm on espn3 - First meeting in this FCS vs. FBS game, as Rockets seek to build on 17-0 record over FCS programs
• UC Davis at Nevada 9:00 pm on MWC Video - 54th meeting in this series, but 2nd game, since 1989 and first, since 2013, when Wolf Pack won 36-7
• VMI at Ball State 6:00 pm on espn3 - Pete Lembo's squad is coming off a 5-7 record last year, as they face a first time FCS opponent to kickoff the 2015 season. Cardinals are only 3-3 vs. FCS in last 6 played, but 4-0 under Lembo